Falsity of implementing the National Action Plan (NAP) stood exposed on Saturday night as Lahore Police arrested three sleeping journalists, seven lawyers, a doctors, a police Sub-Inspector, an Assistant Sub-Inspector, a constable, a doctor, a lecturer, a returning officer and 45 CSS aspirants during a so-called search operation at a residential hostel Karim Building in Racecourse police limits.
A raiding team led by Station House Officer (SHO) of the Racecourse Police Station Rizwan Latif broke open the doors of residents of Karim Building Hostel and punched, kicked, abused and misbehaved with residents without seeking their identity cards and ordered them to stand in queue outside the building. Rizwan Latif later loaded all the residents like criminals in police vehicles and brought them to Racecourse Police Station. He then put all the residents into lock-up without telling them of their crime.
The ‘suspected terrorists’ of SHO Rizwan Latif included three journalists Ihsan Qadir and Shoaib Salim from Pakistan Today, Fida Hasnain from daily The Nation, lawyers Hafiz Muhammad Azhar, Rana Amir Raza, Muhammad Shoaib, Shamsuddin, Moazam Ali, Mohsin Ali Kanju, Asad Ali Arshad, SI Muhammad Ajmal, ASI Sahiwal Muhammad Ijaz, constables Muhammad Sohail, MBBS doctor Amjad Rauf, accountant of University of Gujrat Imtiaz Ahmad Tarar, Kamran Awan of Millat Tractors, Punjab Assembly Security Officer Muhammad Shahid, Lecturer Statistics Masroor ul Haq and 45 CSS aspirants.
The brutal and unwarranted action of Lahore Police triggered protest outside Race Course Police Station which continued all night.
Talking to Pakistan Today, lawyer Hafiz Azhar said, “I was sleeping when police at around 12: 45 broke open doors of my room. Two police officers came inside and picked me from my collar of shirt, kicked and punched me and ordered me to go down the hostel where SHO is standing.”
CSS aspirant Tariq Mehmood Purbana while talking to Pakistan Today said he never felt humiliation like SHO Rizwan Latif meted out to him. “I live in Room No 2 of Karim Building Hostel when police officers like dacoits opened my door and started thrashing me. They ordered to stand in queue of residents under the hostel.”
On protest of journalists, SHO Rizwan Latif shouted and said, “I will put all journalists of Lahore in the lock-up.” After shouting this, he took Fida Hasnain to lock up where he punched and kicked him on face besides hurling abuses at him.
Later, Lahore Press Club President Arshad Ansari, senior journalists Jawad R Awan from The Nation, Zahid Sherwani from Geo News and others reached police station and told officials that they had arrested journalists, not the terrorist in late night raid.
Speaking on the occasion, Arshad Ansari said all three journalists – Ihsan Qadir, Fida Husain and Shoaib Saleem – are members of Lahore Press Club and are working with leading media outlets and had no links with any terrorist organisation. He termed the action against journalists a worst example of state terrorism and police gardi.
Later, the police authorities released all detainees without further clearly stating the reason behind their arrest and release. SHO Racecourse Police Station Rizwan Latif, who led the ‘search operation’ refused to make any comment about the incident.
Following media reports, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Haider Ashraf suspended two police officials for raiding a private hostel and harassing the peaceful citizens.
The DIG Operations took notice on media reports of raids of police force on a private hostel during which they harassed and threatened the peaceful citizens. He suspended SHO Rizwan Latif and another head constable who headed the operation and directed SP Civil Lines for conducting an inquiry against the two.
Despite suspension orders of SHO Rizwan Latif, hostel residents on Sunday gathered outside Lahore Press Club and held a protest demonstration. They demanded termination of SHO Rizwan Latif and his immediate arrest.
In an interview with Pakistan Today, DSP Racecourse Police Station Safdar Raza Kazmi said, “Lahore police are ashamed of the act of SHO Rizwan Latif and his raiding team. He has been suspended and a high-level inquiry has been ordered against him.”
This high level team as long as it is departmental will never prosecute. He will be promoted to DSP soon enough.
Enquiries should always be conducted by a separate, independent commission. Possibly including anonymous school teachers in rotation.
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